Michael Freimuth is a graphic designer, soon-to-be teacher (at the School of Visual Arts this fall) and aspiring sous chef. Much of his time is spent working as creative director of Franklyn, a design firm he co-founded last year. Originally from Chicago, Michael had been in Manhattan’s East Village for several years before making the jump to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in search of more elbow room and foliage. He was fortunate to find this fabulous studio, which is literally in the East River State Park with a front stoop made of foundation bricks from the Brooklyn Bridge. For the space itself, Michael likes a balance of contrasts — contemporary and heritage accents amongst neutrals and simple pieces paired with complex items — while maintaining a clean, casual and comfortable environment. Many thanks to Bob Martus and Jessica Weit for the lovely photographs! — Anne
Image above: Sunny little corner of my home studio
Image above: A fluorescent poster by the design firm Triboro, at home with my favorite fluorescent shoes
Image above: The canvas tracking that separates the bedroom makes the space feel that much bigger — plus it’s saved me several times on those untidy-bedroom-meets-unscheduled-dinner-party occasions.
More of Michael’s home studio after the jump . . .
Image above: No offense to James Victore intended.
Image above: I’ve been hauling this tree stump with me for the last decade; it’s the best part of moving. It probably weighs close to 100 lbs and enjoys rolling down streets, stairs and traveling cross-country (it’s originally from a park in my hometown of Chicago). I’m quite sure it intentionally found a home near my grandfather’s whiskey decanters.
Image above: One of my favorite parts of the studio is its thoroughly beat-up floors. Despite the ability to lose keys, credit cards and cell phones between the floorboards, they’re one of the most charming characteristics of the space.
Image above: Hidden bowling pins and a few purchases from Brook Farm General Store
Image above: A memorable letter from my grandparents next to just one of about 30 vintage tennis rackets hidden in an adjacent travel chest
Image above: My dad managed to crash several cars in his youth, including but not limited to an E-Type Jag. I believe this beautiful license plate toward the back was from one of the few survivors. And that stack of cards represents about one percent of my business card collection.
I love how the natural elements (large plants and wooden bench) harmonize with the rest of the style.
Thanks…I got several good ideas from this sneak peak. I’m wondering what brand/color the paint in the kitchen is? It’s a really nice, rich gray.
Great space! I love how collections are incorporated in there and the choice of objects to collect! Excellent composition.
i’m diggin’ the “smaller” livable spaces. for someone trying to downsize, it’s nice to see it as a functional reality.
Love the inclusion of the vintage, European license plate!
Bricks on the walls and wooden floors! Now is this or not the perfect house! Is it wrong if i envy it? :D
What a beautiful reflection of the owner’s passions and personality. This tour was a joy to view!
Would love to know where the burlap pillow with the screenprinting on the bed is from!
Hi guys, thanks for all the nice comments! To answer a few questions, the paint is actually just ‘Behr Dark Granite’ – a flat matte finish. And the burlap pillow I’m afraid to say was a gift that I believe was bought on Fab.com, but I don’t know exactly where it came from…
An inspiration, for sure.
Such a perfect space.
I love this space. Amazing
Holy floating bike rack! Where is the bike hanging from? I love your space.
LOVE the wooden floors and the brick walls. And the whole place, really enjoyed this sneak peek (:
I love that this house actually looks lived in, but still stylish.
I don’t know what it is with me lately, but the sneak peeks I’m really fond of seem to be men’s homes. And here’s another one. And I also love it when men have plants. Anyway, great home with nice personal touches.
The over-sized burlap pillow is actually from a great little Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CasaBeanDesign
I love the neon poster.
I would love to know the sources for the tracking hardware and the curtain that separates the bedroom. Any info? Thanks!
great space! that black desk lamp is rad. and where might it be from?
Beautiful space! Nice to see a Ticino (CH) license plate. :) (And hope your dad survived his myriad crashes.)
love that home. where is the license plate from? it does look like a swiss one?
Does anyone know where to get those metal chairs seen in the dining room area?
Great layout.
Um. I love it. :)
Wish there were more to see.
Great Apartment, nice how uncluttered it is. Even the bike and snowboard look cool
Anthony, those chairs are from Moon River Chattel in Williamsburg – http://moonriverchattel.com/
Ooo! I’m totally going to try reading by candlelight now, love that! And I love his bedroom divider.
Where is the desk from? loving those sawhorse style legs.
Yes, please tell us where you found the tracking hardware that separates the bedroom. It’s perfect that it doesn’t butt up against the ceiling. Many thanks!
I second Linden’s comment…love the desk lamp. Where is it from?
I wish there was a picture showing the divide between bedroom and kitchen.
People are craving wood floors that look like this. It’s difficult to reproduce that kind of aged look. They are remarkable.
how big is the apartment? in terms of square feet/metres